I Have the Aura of a Supporting Character in Yuri Novels - Chapter 88

A normal human’s life consists of work and relationships. It’s rare for an ordinary person to encounter the legendary fairies, but at this moment, Zhu Yun sees a red-crowned crane and a cheerful azure bird. Don’t ask how Zhu Yun knows; the two yokai introduced themselves to her.

Zhu Yun sips the dew Tang Ruorui poured for her. It’s sweet with a delicate floral fragrance, a taste Zhu Yun can’t forget. Sometimes she craves it, but remembering how precious the dew is, she restrains herself.

She doesn’t seem to notice Tang Ruorui’s resistance towards Jiu You, nor does she see the subtle flattery in Jiu You’s attitude towards Tang Ruorui.

The dew in Zhu Yun’s cup is quickly depleted. Tang Ruorui wants to refill it, but Zhu Yun stops her. Tang Ruorui might not feel bad about using the precious dew, but Zhu Yun does.

The last time Zhu Yun was hurt by a red fox, she went to the hospital for a check-up and found nothing wrong with her body. Zhu Yun knows this is thanks to the benefits of the floral dew. How could she bear to drink such a good thing like a regular beverage?

“Don’t want to drink anymore?”

Zhu Yun murmurs, “Gotta save it, it’s a treasure!”

After meeting Jiu You, Tang Ruorui’s nerves are on edge, fearing Jiu You will pressure her again. If Zhu Yun hadn’t been so interested in the special department, Tang Ruorui wouldn’t have come to meet Jiu You.

Hearing Zhu Yun’s words, her brow softens. She says gently, “It’s fine, I have a lot saved. This dew is much better than tea.”

Zhu Yun can’t stand her “I’m rich” attitude, but then she thinks about how Tang Ruorui’s generosity is always directed at her, and that makes Zhu Yun feel much better.

With a hint of glee in her eyes, she pretends to be nonchalant and says, “It is a bit better than tea, but I don’t want to drink any more now. If I drink too much, I won’t have room for dinner.”

Tang Ruorui has no choice but to agree.

They sit on the sofa with a little distance between them. Seeing this, Zhu Yun smiles and moves closer until their legs are touching. Only then is she satisfied.

Their small actions don’t escape Jiu You’s notice. Tang Ruorui’s gentle attentiveness and Zhu Yun’s active closeness remind Jiu You of the past.

One died in a car accident, the other was constantly harassed by the fox clan. They seem unrelated, but they have an unbreakable bond.

Jiu You once again reflects on her own existence as a member of the You Tan clan, which gave her a second chance at life. The key to breaking the thousand-year-long confinement of the You Tan clan is in Zhu Yun’s hands.

“It’s good to be alive,” Jiu You’s enigmatic words catch Zhu Yun’s attention.

Zhu Yun laughs and says, “Of course, it’s good to be alive. Only when you’re alive is there hope. When you’re dead, you have nothing.”

She values her life dearly. The feeling of dying alone on a hospital bed was too isolating. That’s why Zhu Yun desperately clung to System 857, even though it had ulterior motives. The mysterious system was her only hope.

Jiu You leans back lazily, her arms behind her head. She seems relaxed and approachable, not at all like a high-ranking official. She says, “Do you mind if I have a cigarette?”

Zhu Yun’s eyes flicker. That’s because Tang Ruorui’s leg nudges hers under the table. Zhu Yun says without changing her expression, “Sorry, I’m allergic to smoke.”

Tang Ruorui didn’t expect Zhu Yun to make up such an excuse. Zhu Yun gives Tang Ruorui a sideways glance, her eyes full of meaning, making Tang Ruorui awkwardly look away.

Tang Ruorui purses her lips, her reason crumbling. Her mind is only on Zhu Yun’s flirty look.

Zhu Yun’s ridiculous excuse makes Jiu You burst out laughing. She doesn’t mind Zhu Yun’s words. On the contrary, she likes Zhu Yun’s attitude. There’s no flattery or fear, just a simple, straightforward conversation between friends.

Jiu You looks at Tang Ruorui and says, “We haven’t seen each other in so long, and you can’t even say a word to me? You even need Ms. Zhu to tell me you mind me smoking. Ruorui, you’re becoming more and more childish. But that’s also fitting for your age. By You Tan clan’s lifespan, you’re just a cub.”

Zhu Yun can’t help but laugh. After seeing Tang Ruorui’s gaze, she covers her mouth and apologizes, “I’m sorry, I just suddenly remembered your chubby cubhood.”

Chubby and obedient, so good to cuddle! It’s a shame the adult Tang Ruorui isn’t so fun anymore. Not cute at all, and disobedient!

Tang Ruorui looks at Jiu You, her voice cold. It’s hard to believe they belong to the same race. An outsider might even think they are enemies.

She says, “What is the important matter that senior wanted us to come here for? Just get to the point, stop beating around the bush. You’ve been with humans for so many years, but you haven’t learned any of their good points.”

Zhu Yun is extremely annoyed and immediately gives her a kick in the leg.

Tang Ruorui awkwardly parts her lips. Oops, she was so busy blasting Jiu You that she forgot there was a real human sitting next to her.

This is the downside of different races. She got scolded for no reason.

The white crane sees Tang Ruorui’s resentment towards Jiu You and tries to help Jiu You out. “There are no outsiders here. I have to tell you some things. You don’t know how much effort Jiu You put in to get to her current position. Do you know why the other leaders agreed to let Jiu You designate that area for the You Tan clan? You have no idea how much she did in the middle of all that!”

Tang Ruorui’s eyes are emotionless. She smiles faintly and retorts, “She is very good to the clan, but does that make up for the harm she caused me? I respect you as a senior, but that doesn’t mean I agree with what you’re saying. The knife wasn’t stabbed into you, so you naturally won’t admit how much pain I endured. You’ll only think that I’m ungrateful and have ruined all the effort she put into me.”

The white crane is about to speak, but Jiu You raises her hand to stop him.

Jiu You’s smile remains the same. She looks at Tang Ruorui with a gentle gaze. “We’re all in the same boat. Is it necessary to be so clear about it? I know you blame me. The clan has high hopes for you, and this attention has put a lot of pressure on you. Whenever you were about to collapse in the hands of the fox clan, you would think of the clansmen you needed to protect. That’s why your cultivation was able to go through one transformation after another. Now, I’m probably no match for you.”

Tang Ruorui’s hands on her knees are tightly clenched. In those naive years, she always treated Jiu You’s words as a sacred decree. Jiu You was a senior, so she had to listen. Protecting the clansmen was her mission. When danger arose, she had to charge forward, even if it meant dying for them that would be an honor. But Tang Ruorui discovered that she hated this destiny of sacrificing for the clan. When faced with danger, the clansmen could have simply pitched in and helped, but those pampered clansmen only ran and fled!

If the heavens decreed that the You Tan clan should all be frail, then why did they allow Jiu You and Tang Ruorui, these two anomalies, to be born?

They are powerful. Without them, the You Tan clan would have perished long ago.

So Tang Ruorui often asks herself, must the strong always protect the weak?

Jiu You looks at her like a disobedient child. She smiles and says, “You and I were born into the You Tan clan. This is our destiny. If we don’t protect the clansmen, the You Tan clan might not exist in a hundred years. I am now the leader of the special department. I’ve achieved my goal. As long as I’m here, no one will dare to touch the You Tan clan. And you are the anchor I left in the clan. I’ll handle things on the outside, you handle things on the inside. This way, our clansmen will be safe.”

“But I don’t want to be your so-called anchor. What were they doing when I was sacrificing my life for them? If you really want them to live well, you should teach them the same things you taught me. Expecting me to always protect them who will cherish my life? Let the clansmen who abandoned me protect them?” Tang Ruorui refuses to back down. She’s had enough of this command. The clansmen’s lives are lives, but doesn’t she deserve to live too?

Jiu You’s smile disappears. Her dark eyes scrutinize Tang Ruorui. After a moment, JiuYou scoffs and says, “Ruorui, you’ve gotten wild.”

A flash of pain crosses Tang Ruorui’s eyes. She shrugs self-deprecatingly. “Maybe.”

Is it wrong for her to just want to live?

At that moment, a cup falls to the ground. The shattering sound is caused by Zhu Yun. Her face is bright and charming, as if she didn’t just interrupt the argument between Tang Ruorui and Jiu You.

She holds Tang Ruorui’s clenched fist and says unhurriedly, “This lady is very trendy. I always thought only us humans would use moral blackmail to bind others. I didn’t expect you fairies to use such a tactic too. Whether she’s willing to dedicate her life to the clan is not for you to consider, but for Tang Ruorui to consider. Just because she’s strong, she has to risk her life? Does that sound reasonable to you? Is that something a person would say? Sorry, you’re not a person, you’re just a You Tan flower. Since you’re not a person, how can you do a person’s deed?”

Zhu Yun pulls Tang Ruorui up to her feet. Her attitude is calm and poised. She says placidly, “I knew I shouldn’t have let Tang Ruorui accompany me to the special department. I’ve dragged her into this mess. But it’s also a good thing I came. It allowed me to meet a living relic. Lady, your loyalty to your clansmen is on a level we can never reach. I am truly impressed, truly bowing down in admiration. Selfish people like us don’t deserve to communicate with you. We’re leaving!”

Sometimes when you’re wronged, you have to fight back right then and there. If you can’t flip her table, at least you can break a cup to make a statement. She’s not a punching bag like Tang Ruorui. She’s going to cuss back, so what?

Zhu Yun pulls Tang Ruorui and starts to walk out. The azure bird looks at Jiu You and the white crane anxiously. Seeing that they don’t say anything, the azure bird doesn’t feel it’s appropriate to say anything to smooth things over, so she can only follow them out.

As soon as the door closes, Jiu You smashes the tea table in front of her. The white crane shakes his head helplessly and says, “Jiu You, young people are like this. Don’t take it to heart.”

Jiu You’s face is sullen. Her voice is full of disappointment. She asks the white crane, perplexed, “How did Ruorui become like that? I thought she wouldn’t bring this up again, but who knew… sighs. We’re the strongest. Is the right thing to do to watch the clansmen get taken away by the fox clan? I’m so… so frustrated.”

The white crane pinches his brow. He says earnestly, “Jiu You, we’ve been friends for hundreds of years. There are some things I have to say. Have you ever felt that you’ve protected the clansmen too well? The You Tan flower is weak, and they should be protected by you, but everything needs a sense of balance. Didn’t you understand what Tang Ruorui said? From the moment those clansmen abandoned her, your clansmen were already ruined by you.”

The white crane walks over and pats Jiu You on the shoulder. “Think about it yourself. I’m going to see Chen Wei’an.”

He had never found a good opportunity to remind Jiu You, and he didn’t expect a junior like Tang Ruorui to bring the matter up again today. And that human, Zhu Yun. She’s young, but her words are sharp. She’s a little hothead but has guts, and she’s a promising talent.

The door closes again, and Jiu You sits alone on the sofa, lost in thought. She doesn’t truly realize her mistake but realizes that no one agrees with her, which makes her understand that she might have done something wrong.

She closes her eyes, and her consciousness envelops her surroundings. When Jiu You sees Zhu Yun taking Tang Ruorui away from the special department, she lets out a long, weary sigh.

Her consciousness is naturally detected by Tang Ruorui. Tang Ruorui frowns slightly and severs the thread of consciousness. Without Jiu You’s presence, Tang Ruorui immediately feels refreshed.

“Tang Ruorui?”

“Rui Rui?”

“Hey, Tang!”

Zhu Yun calls her several times, but Tang Ruorui seems not to hear her. If Zhu Yun’s hands weren’t occupied, she would have started something.

Tang Ruorui blinks and says softly, “I’m here, I’m here.”

Zhu Yun glares at her, annoyed. “You’re in my car, and you dare to space out? Believe it or not, I’ll make you get out right now.”

“I was thinking. I didn’t mean to space out.”

Zhu Yun scoffs. “You’re so quick-witted in front of me, but in front of your senior, you’re like a punching bag? I’m telling you, your clansmen are too much. They’ve been relying on the two of you to protect them. If you two die one day, they can just die with you. It’ll save them from being captured and turned into elixirs by the fox clan! Hey, I’m cussing you out, why are you smiling at me?”

Tang Ruorui’s eyes, full of affection, are like a stream warmed by the spring sun, the ice melting away, leaving only rippling water. Zhu Yun feels like a small boat, bobbing in the waves of her gaze, her heart drifting somewhere unknown.

She smiles and says, “You’re not cussing me out. You’re worried about me.”

Zhu Yun turns the steering wheel, her expression calm, as if she hasn’t been bewitched by Tang Ruorui’s beauty. She pouts and says, “Sigh, you were too young back then. You were easily brainwashed by Jiu You. It’s not that you can’t sacrifice your life for the clan, but the most important thing is that they are worth your sacrifice. If your clansmen aren’t worthy of that, you should run. If you don’t run, you’ll lose your life. I don’t really understand all the complicated things in your world as a human, but I think life is precious. I hope you can be good to yourself. Forget about responsibility or destiny. You’re just Tang Ruorui, not the savior of your clansmen.”

Zhu Yun persuades Tang Ruorui earnestly, fearing that she still holds onto Jiu You’s obsessions. If Jiu You is willing to be a candle that burns its life to illuminate the clan, then let her do it alone. Why drag Tang Ruorui into it?

Her words are non-stop, filled with concern and sympathy for Tang Ruorui. Zhu Yun is a kind person and is unwilling to see Tang Ruorui continue to sacrifice for her clan. As she just said, whether the clansmen are worthy of Tang Ruorui’s sacrifice is a critical point.

Tang Ruorui smiles faintly and tilts her head. Her beautiful, vibrant features are filled with gentleness, and her eyes and brows are full of joy. In this state, Tang Ruorui looks a little silly, completely different from her decisive and fierce demeanor when facing Bai Xuyan.

“Ahem, don’t look at me like that. I’m getting a little scared.”

It’s not really fear. It’s just that Zhu Yun is being a little stubborn. Anyone would be nervous being stared at by such a beautiful woman.

Tang Ruorui smiles. “Zhu Yun, I always used to wonder why I agreed to come to the human world at my senior’s request. I regretted it countless times because I’m a flower fairy, and they’re humans. Even an abominable manager wasn’t scary to me. With a single thought, she could die silently. But I couldn’t do that. She’s a human, and I’m a yokai. I have magic, she doesn’t. That’s the biggest difference between me and humans. But now I finally understand why I had to come to the human world.”

“Why?” Zhu Yun bites her lip, hesitating before asking.

Tang Ruorui’s smile deepens. She says, “It’s because of how out of place I feel with everyone else that I’m even more certain of how special you are.”

“I came to the human world just to meet you.”

She closes the distance between them. Her breath flutters against the side of Zhu Yun’s face. If Zhu Yun just turns her head, they could kiss intimately.

Tang Ruorui watches the blush on Zhu Yun’s cheeks. There’s a mischievous glint in her eyes. Seeing Zhu Yun’s shyness gives her a strong sense of excitement.

She whispers, “And you? Does meeting me make you happy?”

Her voice is like a soft breeze, unhurried and lingering, brushing against Zhu Yun’s face, wanting to stay with her a little longer.

Zhu Yun’s throat works. She reluctantly tears her gaze away from Tang Ruorui’s lips. Zhu Yun finds Tang Ruorui incredibly charming like this. Who doesn’t love hearing sweet words? Even the most cold-hearted person probably can’t resist these sweet words, so Zhu Yun’s composure vanishes. Tang Ruorui’s question echoes in her mind, and she blurts out, “What’s happy about it? It’s all about worrying. One minute you’re a kid, the next you’re an adult. I still have your favorite yogurt in the car. You don’t drink any other flavor, just that mango one. It makes me so mad, I want to rip your pants off and spank you. But what’s the point of being mad? It’s all because I saved a flower fairy on a rainy night.”

Zhu Yun parks the car in a parking spot on the side of the road. Now she doesn’t have to be distracted and can focus on dealing with Tang Ruorui.

She reaches out and pinches Tang Ruorui’s cheek, teasingly saying, “You have a contradictory and difficult personality. You don’t like being a celebrity, but you’ve been doing it for three years. You want to get rid of Jiu You’s moral blackmail, but you can’t completely let go. Sigh, Tang Ruorui, Tang Ruorui. You’re so dumb. You’ve lived for so long, and you still need me, a twenty-something, to worry about you. Isn’t that embarrassing?”

Tang Ruorui places her face in Zhu Yun’s palm and sighs softly. Her lowered eyelashes hide the emotions in her eyes. She persists in being a celebrity because she doesn’t want to fail the fans who love her. She’s stubbornly protecting the clan because, to be frank, she can’t bear to abandon them.

Tang Ruorui says bitterly, “So what should I do?”

Zhu Yun scoffs, “So the masochist was right beside me all along.”

Tang Ruorui laughs. Her deep eyes are filled with affection for Zhu Yun. She holds Zhu Yun’s wrist and says, “I’m such a mess. Will you help me?”

“I won’t.”

Tang Ruorui looks dejected, which makes Zhu Yun feel sorry for her. The Zhu Yun who just so resolutely refused is now going back on her word.

Zhu Yun rubs her cheek hard to vent her frustration and says, “I’ll help, I’ll help! But on one condition: you have to listen to me. You can’t object to anything I say. If I tell you to go east, you can’t go west. In front of me, your clansmen and Jiu You both have to take a back seat. So, are you willing to agree?”

Tang Ruorui wraps her arms around Zhu Yun. She lowers her head and rests it gently on Zhu Yun’s shoulder, whispering, “Even if you didn’t ask me to do this, I would. You’re very important. So important.”

When a heart that has long been cold meets the scorching sun, how can it bear not to yearn to possess that sun? Once you’ve had warmth, who would still care about those who make your heart cold?

Zhu Yun believes her words. She pats Tang Ruorui’s back and says sweetly, “Good Rui Rui, Rui Rui is so great~”

Tang Ruorui’s eyes are deep, and her smile doesn’t fade. She holds Zhu Yun very, very tightly and says, “I’m not a child.”

“What, you’re not a child, so I can’t comfort you like this? Don’t tell me you’re getting shy. Rui Rui, with our relationship, what is there to be shy about?”

Tang Ruorui lets go of her and puts her hands on Zhu Yun’s shoulders, her face serious. There’s none of the awkward shyness Zhu Yun expected, which makes Zhu Yun feel deflated. How is her teasing not working anymore?

“Zhu Yun.”

“What is it now?”

Tang Ruorui says slowly, “I am indeed a mess, but that mess won’t affect our feelings. So I can compromise on other things, but not on love.”

Zhu Yun is still thinking about how to tease her when she suddenly hears these words. Zhu Yun stammers, “W-what do you mean?”

“Let’s cultivate together.”

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